A Theonette Story
by JM.Fanatic
Summary: Read and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1:Five More Days Till Christmas

Chapter One

It's five days before Christmas and Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were doing last minute shopping for themselves. They were walking through the mall, Alvin talking on and on about Eleanor. Not that Simon and Theodore weren't happy for him, it was just that he refused to _shut up_.

"And then she laughed the cutest laugh ever. Did I ever tell you how cute her laugh was?" he asked, looking back at them.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Yes, Alvin, you have," he said.

"About 30 times already," Theodore said, completely annoyed, "And if you mention it again, you're gonna come up missing." Alvin and Simon stared at him. He shrugged. "It's annoying."

Alvin laughed and kept walking. "Aw, Theo's mad because he doesn't have someone to talk about like that," he said as they followed him.

"Well, if I'll sound as annoying as you, I'm glad," Theodore said.

"You know, Theodore, you sound a little jealous," Simon said as they walked into a store.

"You know, Simon, you need to shut up," Theodore said, quite annoyed with him now.

"Oh, defensive," Alvin teased. Theodore rolled his eyes.

Both Alvin and Simon had girlfriends and threw it in Theodore's face whenever they got the chance just because he didn't have one. They accused him of being jealous just because he made smart comments every time they talked about their girlfriends. Big deal, every one does that. At least, Theodore saw it that way. All three started looking for something to buy themselves.

'Man, these guys are annoying. I can get a girlfriend. I just don't want one right now. I'm focusing on school and a girlfriend would just be a distraction,' Theodore thought, trying to convince himself that it was true at the same time. Just then, everything went black, immediately interrupting him from his thoughts. "Who's this? Let me go. I'm warning you. I know Kung Fu," Theodore warned and the person giggled.

"Guess who," they said.

Theodore immediately recognized the voice and sighed in relief. He grabbed the person's hands and pulled them down. "Jeanette, don't do that," he said turning around.

She giggled and said, "Yeah, I wouldn't want you to do one of your Kung Fu moves on me."

"Yeah, cause that could really hurt," Theodore said and Jeanette laughed. Theodore smiled a bit and then asked, "Where are your sisters?" Jeanette pointed behind him and he turned around. Eleanor was doing the same thing to Alvin-he was still trying to guess-and Simon was kissing Brittany. Theodore nodded and said, "Ah, I see," causing Jeanette to laugh again.

Then, she asked, "So, whatcha doing?"

"Buying something for myself," Theodore said as he continued to look.

Jeanette rolled her eyes. "Of course. You Sevilles would only buy something for yourselves," she joked.

Theodore glanced at her. "Hey, I spent almost two months pay on Christmas gifts for you guys and Dave. Excuse me if I want to spend just a bit of my money on myself," he said.

Jeanette nodded. "I see," she said. Then she asked, "Whatcha get me?"

Theodore arched an eye brow and smirked. "You'll find out in five days," he said picking up a shirt and examining it. Then he shook his head and put it down. He turned and looked at Jeanette and saw that she was pouting. He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. "Cheer up. Five days isn't that long," he said and started walking toward the exit with her.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I couldn't find anything I wanted in here," he said and they walked out of the store.

Meanwhile, their brothers and sisters were watching them. "They are so cute together," Eleanor said.

"If only they weren't so freakin blind. It's completely obvious they want each other," Brittany said.

"Apparently not to them," Simon said.

Alvin, who was texting, looked up from his phone and looked at them. "What we talkin bout?" he asked. The other three looked at him. Then, Simon shook his head, grabbed Brittney's hand and started walking toward the exit. Alvin looked at Eleanor with a confused look on his face.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Alvin," she said. Then she grabbed his hand and followed the other two.

**theonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonette**

All six of them ended up in the food court after Alvin, Simon, and Theodore had found something for themselves. Alvin and Eleanor were going back and forth going 'I love you more.', 'No, I love you more.' Simon and Brittany were in a discussion about what they were going to do after they graduated from high school. Theodore and Jeanette just talked about whatever came to mind.

"So, you have any special plans for Christmas?" Theodore asked her.

She shrugged. "Other than spending it with my family, no, I don't think so," she said.

Theodore gasped in mock horror and placed his hand over his heart. "Oh my, that's terrible. Simply terrible, darling," he said and Jeanette laughed. He laughed along with her. Then he gasped. "I know what you should do."

"And what's that?" Jeanette asked.

"You should start a snowball fight with some random person off the street," Theodore suggested.

Jeanette chuckled. "Sounds fun, yet dangerous. I don't know, some people are crazy. They might have a whole bunch of friends that might pop out of random bushes and attack me," she said. By the time she finished, Theodore had his head down on the table, laughing. Jeanette laughed at him.

Once he finally calmed down, he put his head up. "Okay, you're right; very dangerous," he said.

Jeanette nodded. Then she gasped. "Here's an idea. Why don't we hang out on Christmas? I mean, our siblings are spending Christmas together, so why don't we?"

Theodore nodded. "Are you sure? I mean, I think I'm a little too special for you," he teased.

Jeanette smirked. "Yeah, you're right. You are too _special_ for me," she said.

Theodore nodded. Then he thought about it. He looked at Jeanette and said, "Hey!" and Jeanette started laughing.

"Good job, Teddy," she said. Then she gasped. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like it when we call you that," she apologized.

Theodore smiled. "No, it's okay. I don't mind when you call me that. They usually call me that when their teasing me," he said.

Jeanette smiled and looked down. Then she back up at him. "Teddy, why don't you have a girlfriend?"

Theodore shrugged. "I don't want one," he said.

Jeanette looked back down. "Oh," she said, sounding disappointed. "Why?"

"Because I focusing on school," he said.

"And a girlfriend would distract you," Jeanette finished for him.

"Exactly," Theodore said.

Jeanette looked at him again. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.

Theodore chuckled. "Trying to," he said.

Jeanette smiled a little. "So, you don't believe it?"

Theodore looked at her. "What's with all the questions?"

Jeanette shrugged. "I was just wondering," she said.

"Why?" Theodore asked, eying her suspiciously.

Jeanette thought quick. "Uh, there's a, uh, girl that I know that likes you," she said.

Theodore raised his eye brows in interest. "Really?"

Jeanette smiled and nodded. "Yes, she saw you and told me that you were really cute and that she wanted to get to know you," she said.

"Is that so? Does she go to our school?" Theodore asked.

Jeanette's eyes widened. "Uh, no, she doesn't. She goes to our…rivalry school," she lied.

"Uh-huh…What's her name?" Jeanette started thinking of random names. Theodore looked at her. "Jeanette?…Jeanette?….Netta?"

"Mandy!" Jeanette exclaimed, alerting everyone at the table. They all stared at her. She blushed and looked down and they all went back to what they were doing.

Theodore nudged her. "You said her name was Mandy?" he asked.

Jeanette nodded. "Amanda, but Mandy," she said.

"Sounds cute. Where do you know her from?"

"Um, at one of the football games. She's one of the cheerleaders," Jeanette said.

Theodore nodded. "Cool. I would really like to get to know her, too," he said.

Jeanette looked worried. "You would?"

"Yeah. When can I meet her?" Theodore asked.

Jeanette thought about it. Then a smile slowly crept on her face. "On Christmas. She doesn't have anything to do and she said that after Christmas, she's going out of town, so that's the only day she's free," she said.

"Okay," Theodore said.

Jeanette pretended to be offended. "Oh, so you'll hang out with her, but not me?" she said, putting her hand on her hip.

Theodore smirked. "Jealous?" he asked.

Jeanette rolled her eyes. "As if. Why would I be jealous of her if she's dating you?"

Theodore put his hand over his heart. "That hurt, Jeanette. That hurt to the core."

Jeanette laughed and hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Teddy." Theodore smiled and hugged her back.

Eleanor happened to look up and see them. She smiled and nudged Brittany and Alvin. They looked at her and she motioned toward the two. Brittany smiled and tapped Simon. He looked up and saw them. He smirked and looked at Alvin. "Hey, Alvin," he whispered, "I think I know what we could do this Christmas."

Alvin smiled and nodded. Brittany and Eleanor looked at each other, both of them thinking, 'This cannot end well.'


	2. Chapter 2:Four More Days Till Christmas

Chapter 2

There are four more days until Christmas and Jeanette was pacing her room, arguing with herself about what she did yesterday. She had no idea how she was supposed to do this. She had no idea why she did it. That was a lie. She did know why she did it. She did it because she likes Theodore and she thought this was the only way she could get him to like her back. She thought by pretending she was Mandy, Theodore would start to like her quite a bit and at the end, she would reveal that it was really her.

She suddenly stopped. "What if he wants to see her?" she asked herself.

"See who?" someone asked from the door.

Jeanette screamed and quickly turned around to see Eleanor standing at the door. She put her hand over her heart and tried to catch her breath. "Oh, hi, Ellie. How's it going?" she asked.

Eleanor walked in the room. "What's gotten into you, Jeanette? You've been acting weird since we got home yesterday. What? You don't want us to know you have a massive crush on Theodore?" she asked, sitting on Jeanette's bed.

Jeanette's eyes widened. "What? Me? Like Theodore? You're crazy," she said, shifting her eyes.

Eleanor smiled. "No, you're crazy if you thought we didn't notice. It's more than obvious," she said.

"I don't like Theodore!" Jeanette snapped. Eleanor jumped and stared at her. Jeanette looked down. "Sorry," she apologized.

Eleanor just nodded. Then she asked, "Who were you talking about when I walked in?"

"Uh, a girl I know that Theodore wants to get to know. She likes him and she wants to get to know him, too," Jeanette said.

"Oh," Eleanor said, thinking that Jeanette was really disappointed. "Well, uh, why did you sound so nervous when you said Theodore wanted to meet her?" she asked.

"He doesn't want to meet her yet, but I'm sure he will," Jeanette said. Then, suddenly, she ran and shut her door. Then she walked back over to Eleanor and sat down beside her. "Ok, Ellie, I going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone," she said.

"Ok," Eleanor said.

Jeanette let out a breath. "Ok, so yesterday, Theodore was asking me all these questions that would end with me telling him that I liked him," Eleanor smiled knowingly, "so I told there was a girl from our rivalry school named Mandy that liked him," she explained.

Eleanor's eyes widened. "You did what? Why did you that? Why didn't you just tell him you liked him?" she asked.

Jeanette shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I thought it would be too weird if he knew I liked him. Anyway, I told him that she wanted to get to know him and he said he wanted to get to know him, too, so now they're meeting on Christmas," she said.

Eleanor shook her head. "There's no Mandy, is there?" Jeanette shook her head and she sighed.

"But it's not all bad," Jeanette assured her.

"It's not?"

"No. All the while Theodore is gonna think he's talking to Mandy, but he's really going to be talking to me. I'm going to pretend to be Mandy and on Christmas, I'm going to show up and tell him the truth," Jeanette explained.

Eleanor arched an eye brow. "You really thought this through, didn't you?"

Jeanette shook her head. "No, actually, I just thought of this," she said.

Eleanor chuckled and shook her head. "Well, have you thought about how he might react when you tell him the truth?" she asked.

Jeanette sighed and bit her lip. "No…I really hope he won't be mad that I lied to him," she said.

Eleanor nodded and stood up. "Well, I have a date with Alvin, so I'll see you later." Before she walked out, she looked at Jeanette and said, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Then she walked out and closed the door.

Jeanette sighed and laid back on her bed. "I hope this works out," she said to herself.

**theonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonette**

Theodore skipped around the house whistling a tune that neither of his brothers knew. They eyed him while he ate his sandwich, humming. In the middle of chewing, Theodore looked up and noticed they were staring at him. He shifted his eyes. "What?" he asked, his mouth full.

"Why are you so happy?" Alvin asked. Theodore shrugged and kept eating.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Theo, what's up with you?" he asked.

Theodore looked at them again. "If you must know, I have a date on Christmas," he said.

"With Jeanette?" Alvin asked.

Theodore furrowed his eye brows. "No, with a…Jeanette?" he asked.

Simon shrugged. "Well, we just thought since you like her and all," he said.

Theodore stared at him. "I like her?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Alvin said.

Theodore shook his head. "Guys, I'm not interested in Jeanette. I think I might be interested in her friend, Mandy," he said, a smile spreading on his face.

"Mandy?" Alvin and Simon asked simultaneously as they looked at each other.

Theodore nodded. "Yeah, Jeanette said that Mandy wanted to get to know me and the way Jeanette described her, she sounded pretty cool, so I told her I wanted to get to know her, too. We're gonna meet on Christmas," Theodore explained.

"You're going on a blind date," Simon said and Theodore nodded. Simon sighed and started walking away. "Hope you have a good time," he said and left.

Theodore stared after him. Then he shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. Then he looked up to see Alvin still staring at him. "What?" he asked, now getting annoyed.

"Why are you going on a blind date when you know you like Jeanette?" Alvin asked.

Theodore rolled his eyes. "I don't like Jeanette. She's just a really good friend. That's all," he said. Alvin didn't give up. In fact, he started staring Theodore down. Theodore shifted in his seat and shifted his eyes. Then he said, "That makes me uncomfortable."

"Because it's working," Alvin said and kept staring.

Theodore looked at him like he was crazy. Finally, he couldn't take anymore and he got up and quickly walked out of the kitchen, leaving his sandwich on the table. Alvin stared after him. Then he shrugged and picked up his sandwich. He took a bite and nodded in approval. "He makes good sandwiches. He should start a business," he said to himself and took another bite.

**theonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonette **

Jeanette found herself standing on the Seville doorstep. Theodore had called her and asked her to come over so they could talk and she quickly accepted. She knocked on the door and waited patiently. Just then, the door opened and Theodore was revealed. He smiled and let her in. Jeanette walked in and went to sit on the couch. Theodore shut the door and went and sat next to her.

Jeanette looked at him. "So, what's going on? What did you want to talk about?" she asked.

Theodore was about to answer until he noticed Alvin and Simon duck behind the corner when he looked up. He smirked and said, "I wanted to talk about us."

Jeanette's eyes widened. "What?" she asked. Theodore motioned toward the corner and Jeanette looked up to see Alvin and Simon duck down. She smiled and looked at Theodore. "Oh, well, what about us?" she asked, playing along.

Theodore smiled and grabbed her hand. "Jeanette, I like you a lot and I want us to be more than friends," he said loud enough for them to hear.

Jeanette tried not to laugh. "Really? Well, what about Mandy?" she asked.

"Mandy-smandy," Theodore said and Jeanette had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Theodore smiled and continued. "All I want for Christmas is you," he said.

Jeanette placed her hand over her heart. "Oh, Teddy," she said like she was madly in love.

Theodore copied her actions. "Oh, Netta," he said the same way. Then an idea popped in his head. Suddenly, he kissed her and Jeanette was in complete shock. She closed her eyes as Theodore pushed her back on the couch. Once he was sure they couldn't see them anymore, Theodore pulled away and started laughing quietly.

Jeanette opened her eyes and smiled. Then she started laughing along with him.

"You're crazy," she whispered.

"Well, I'm about to get crazier," he said. Then he groaned and rolled them over, causing both of them to hit the floor with a thud. He mouthed 'moan' to Jeanette and she did, loudly.

Alvin and Simon looked at each other, both of them smiling. They crept over to the couch. They peeked over and their smiles immediately faded. They saw Theodore and Jeanette laughing on the floor. They looked up at them and started laughing harder.

They stood up and tried to calm down. Alvin and Simon stood there, dumbstruck. Theodore calmed down first. "You guys actually fell for it," he said, wiping away a tear.

Jeanette nodded. "Yeah, that's what you get for eavesdropping," she added.

Then Theodore grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, Jeanette. Let's go somewhere more private." He and Jeanette started laughing again as he led her upstairs.

Finally, Alvin and Simon got their voices back. Alvin shook his head. "I can't believe they tricked us like that," he said.

Simon nodded. "I can't believe I fell for it. I think you're starting to rub off on me," he said and walked away.

Alvin nodded. Then he finally realized what Simon had said. He gasped. "Hey!" he yelled after him. When Simon didn't answer, he just nodded. "I'ma let you have that one. You're lucky I have a date," he said and walked out of the house.

**theonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonette**

Theodore opened the door of his room and let Jeanette go in first. Then he went in behind her and shut the door. Jeanette took off her jacket and sat on his bed. Theodore walked over and laid behind her on the bed. Jeanette turned around and faced him. She smiled. "That was fun," she said.

Theodore chuckled. "The looks on their faces were priceless," he said.

Jeanette nodded. "So, why did you really call me over here?" she asked.

"What makes you think that wasn't it?" Theodore asked. Jeanette arched an eye brow at him. Then he nodded. "Yeah, you're right," he said and laid on his back and looked at the ceiling.

Jeanette wished that he really called her over for that, but she knew it was just a joke to him. She sighed and laid beside him in the same position. "What's the real reason?" she asked.

Theodore sighed. "Today, Alvin and Simon kept insisting that I liked you. You know, as more than a friend," he said.

Jeanette looked at him. "Oh," she said. "Ellie did the same thing."

Theodore looked at her. "Really? That's strange. Why do you think they think that?" he asked, looking back up at the ceiling.

'Because it's true,' Jeanette thought. She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because we're so close," she said, even though she knew the truth. Theodore nodded. Jeanette smirked. "It's all your fault, you know?" she asked.

Theodore looked at her and smirked as well. "How do you figure?" he asked.

"You're always flirting with me. Jeez, back off, will ya?" Jeanette joked.

Theodore laughed. "If anyone's flirting, it's you. Hugging me and calling me Teddy and such," he said. Then he and Jeanette started laughing. Once he calmed down, he looked at her again. "Honestly, I could see it," he said.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I could, but also, I think it would be a little weird if we started dating. Sure, I love you and all, but you're like a sister to me. A sister I've never had. I think if we went out, it would ruin that bond we have and I really don't want to risk that," he explained.

Jeanette nodded, but remained silent. Now, she knew how Theodore felt about her. She had no choice but to be okay with it. It was his feelings and you can't help how you feel. She just wished he loved her beyond friendship. She smiled, knowing that he cared enough about her and their friendship by not jeopardizing it in any way, even if she thought nothing could ruin their friendship.

"So, have you talked to Mandy?" Theodore asked after a moment, drawing her from her thoughts.

Let the lying begin.

Jeanette nodded. "Uh, yeah, I talked to her earlier today. I told her about yesterday and she said she couldn't wait to meet you," she said.

"Cool," Theodore said. Then he looked at her. "Can I see her?" he asked.

Jeanette's eyes widened. "You want to see her?"

Theodore nodded. "Yeah. I just want to make sure I'm not being set up with a sea monster," he joked. Looks really didn't matter to him. It was all about personality.

Jeanette chuckled nervously. "Well, uh, don't you trust me?" she asked.

Theodore thought about it. Finally, he shook his head. "No," he said, again joking.

Jeanette thought of an excuse. "Well, I, uh, don't have any pictures of her in my phone," she said.

"You have her number, don't you? Call or text her and tell her to send you some," Theodore said.

'Damn it!' she thought. She let out a breath. "Okay," she said and sat up. She took out her phone and quickly text Eleanor.

Eleanor, still on her date with Alvin, felt her pocket vibrate. "Ah!" she exclaimed as she jumped. Alvin looked at her and she smiled. "Sorry. My phone," she said and took it out. She noticed that she had a text from Jeanette. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Who is it?" Alvin asked.

Eleanor looked up at him. "Jeanette. She wants me to…," she trailed off, knowing she wasn't supposed to tell anyone.

Alvin tried to look at the screen. "She wants you to what?" he asked.

Eleanor put the phone against her chest. "Nothing. I'll be right back," she said and stood up. "Sorry," she said and quickly walked away from the table.

Alvin huffed and slouched in his chair. He shook his head. "Girls. They always stick together."

Eleanor went to the bathroom. She read the text again.

_Ellie, take a pic of a pretty girl that looks like she could be a cheerleader & send it 2 me._

"Now, why does she want me to do that?" Eleanor asked herself. She text her back.

_Why?_

Jeanette sat impatiently as she waited for Eleanor to text back. Theodore sat up and looked at her. "Is it taking her that long to take a few pictures of herself?" he asked.

Jeanette smiled and chuckled nervously. "Yeah, well, she is a cheerleader," she said. Just then, her phone started vibrating. She opened her phone and read the text.

Theodore read over her shoulder. "She doesn't seem very willing," he said.

Jeanette gasped and put the phone against her chest. She looked at him and smirked. "Do you mind?"

Theodore shook his head. "No," he said.

Jeanette stood up. "Excuse me for one moment," she said. Then she left the room and went to the bathroom. She text Eleanor back.

_Theo wants to c a pic of Mandy._

Eleanor's phone vibrated and she read the text. She sighed and said, "Okay." Then she walked out of the bathroom and went back to her seat. Alvin was doing some kind of kung fu moves with his fork. She smiled and sat down. "I'm back. Sorry about that," she said.

Alvin quickly put down his fork and cleared his throat. "It's okay," he said. "What did Jeanette want?" he asked. Eleanor wasn't even paying attention anymore. She was looking around as if she was looking for someone. Alvin stared at her. "What are you doing?"

Eleanor quickly looked up at him. "Huh? Oh, I was, um, just looking around. This place is really pretty," she said.

Alvin shifted his eyes. "It's a diner," he said.

Eleanor shifted her eyes, too. "A very pretty diner," she said, smiling nervously. Just then, a teenage girl walked in the diner wearing a cheer uniform. Eleanor noticed her walk in and chuckled. "Wow," she said.

Alvin looked at her. "What?"

Eleanor stood up again. "I'll be right back," she said and walked toward the girl. Alvin huffed again and started playing with his fork again.

Eleanor slowly approached the girl. Once she reached her, she let took a deep breath and let it out. "Jeanette so owes me one," she said. Then she smiled and tapped her on the shoulder.

The girl looked at her. "Hi," she said.

Eleanor sat down beside her. "Hi, I'm Eleanor," she said.

The girl nodded. "Um, do I know you?" she asked.

Eleanor pretended like she was shocked. "Oh my gosh, you don't remember me?" she asked.

The girl shifted her eyes. "Um, no."

Eleanor examined the girl. She looked like a Cassie to her, so she tried her luck. "You're Cassie, right?" she asked.

She slowly nodded. "Yeah," she said.

'Wow,' Eleanor thought. She smiled again. "I go to your school," she said, trying to sound excited.

The girl furrowed her eye brows. Then she gasped. "Are you the girl in science that's really quiet and sits in the very back of the class?" she asked.

Eleanor shifted her eyes. Then she nodded. "Yes," she agreed.

Cassie smiled. "Oh, ok. Well, what can I do for you?" she asked.

Eleanor took out her phone. "Smile and look pretty," she said.

"What?" Cassie asked.

Eleanor raised her phone. "Smile!" she exclaimed. Cassie jumped. Then she smiled. Eleanor took five pictures of her. Then she smiled. "Great! Seeya," she said. She got up and went back to her seat. Cassie stared after her clearly confused. Then she shook her head and went back to what she was doing.

Eleanor sat down and Alvin was blowing bubbles in his drink threw his straw. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm back."

Alvin stopped and looked up her. "For the last time, I hope," he said.

Eleanor smiled and nodded. "Yes, for the last time." Then she started sending the pictures to Jeanette.

Jeanette looked at her watch as she waited for Eleanor to reply. Just then, someone knocked on the door and she jumped. "Jeanette, are you okay? You still alive?" Theodore asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute," she said. Just then, her phone vibrated. She opened it and looked at the pictures. "Wow, Eleanor, I didn't think you'll actually find a cheerleader," she said to herself. Then she walked out the bathroom and went back to Theodore's room.

He looked at her. "Hey, what took you so long?" he asked.

Jeanette held up her phone. "I got the pictures," she said and handed him the phone. Theodore scrolled through the pictures, and after each one, Jeanette noticed his smile gradually getting bigger. She sighed and sat down beside him. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

Theodore handed her the phone back. "I think I was smart in agreeing to this," he said. Then he nudged her. "Thanks, Netta," he said.

Jeanette smiled sadly and looked down. She couldn't believe he actually liked her, even though this was all made up. She knew that he thought this was real and that's what really hurt her. She just made a huge mistake and she knew it. "You're welcome, Teddy," she mumbled.


	3. Chapter 3:Three More Days Till Christmas

Chapter 3

There are more days until Christmas and Jeanette was standing outside Brittany's door, hesitating to go in. 'I can't believe I'm gonna do this,' she thought as she finally built up the courage to knock on the door.

Just then, Brittany opened the door and Jeanette jumped. So did Brittany. "Oh, Jeanette, what's up?" she asked.

Jeanette looked down and started playing with the hem of her skirt. "I was wondering if maybe we could go…shopping," she said.

Brittany arched an eye brow. "You want to go shopping with me?"

Jeanette looked up at her. "Well, yeah, because I kinda need your help," she said.

Brittany eyed her with the same look on her face. "Who are you trying to impress?" she asked.

'She knows me too well,' Jeanette thought. "I'm not trying to…," Brittany stared at her and she sighed. "How did you know?"

Brittany smiled knowingly. "I know you, Jeanette. So, who is it?"

Jeanette blushed and looked down. "Theodore," she mumbled.

"You're mumbling," Brittany said.

Jeanette sighed. "Theodore," she said louder. When Brittany didn't say anything, she looked up to see her nodding. She just stared at her.

Brittany crossed her arms. "Well, I'm not gonna say I'm surprised, because I'm not. I'm just glad you finally admitted that you liked him," she grabbed her purse. "Let's go," she said, pulling Jeanette out the house.

theonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonettetheonette

"So, you're telling me that you made up a girl that liked Theodore to cover up the fact that you liked Theodore?" Brittany asked when Jeanette finished telling her the story. She and Jeanette were at the mall looking for an outfit for Jeanette.

Jeanette nodded. "Pretty much," she said.

Brittany shook her head. "I would cuss you out for doing something so stupid, but you panicked and if I was in your situation, I would probably do the same thing, she said.

Jeanette smiled a bit. "Well, you're better than Eleanor. She yelled at me," she said.

Brittany glanced at her. "Don't tempt me," she said and Jeanette stopped smiling. "So, how do you think he's gonna react when he finds out it was you the whole time?"

Jeanette sighed. "I don't know. I don't want this to ruin our friendship. I kinda just want him to know that I like him," she said.

Brittany looked at her. "Here's a thought, and I'm just throwing this out there, but why not just tell him?" she asked.

Jeanette shrugged. "I wouldn't know what to say."

"How about 'Hey, Teddy, I like you and I want you to be my boyfriend,'" Brittany said.

Jeanette sighed. Then she noticed someone approaching them. "Speaking of boyfriend, yours is coming up behind you," she told her.

A smile immediately appeared on Brittany's face. "Oh my God, really?" She turned around and sure enough, Simon was coming up behind her. She squealed and ran up to him. Simon smiled and kissed her. They walked back over to Jeanette, who was still looking for an outfit.

"Hey, Jeanette," Simon said and Jeanette just smiled up at him. Simon looked at Brittany, confused. "Since when do you two shop together?" he asked.

Jeanette looked at him. "What, am I not worthy enough to shop with the Almighty Brittany?" she snapped.

Simon furrowed his eye brows. "No, it's not that at all. It's just I don't see it often," he said and Jeanette sighed.

"I'm sorry, Simon. I didn't mean to snap like that," she apologized.

Brittany hugged Simon's waist. "Don't mind her, Si. She's just upset, because I make good points," she said, smirking at her. Jeanette just rolled her eyes.

Simon was interested now. "Is that so? Good points about what?"

Brittany was about to tell him, but Jeanette pushed her down. Brittany hit the floor with a thud and Simon just stared at Jeanette, shocked. Jeanette pretended to be shocked, too. She gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh, Brittany, are you alright? That was some fall you had there," she said and Brittany just glared up at her.

Simon helped her up and looked at Jeanette again. "Jeanette, why'd you do that?"

Jeanette started looking through the clothes again. "Do what?" she asked.

"Why'd you push her?" Simon asked.

Jeanette glanced at him. "I didn't push her. Brittany's just clumsy, that's all," she said.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Jeanette."

Jeanette faced them. "Ok, I pushed Brittany, because _Brittany_ can't keep her mouth shut," she said, glaring at her. Brittany glared back.

Simon looked back and forth between them. Then he cleared his throat and asked, "What's going on?"

Jeanette turned away from Brittany. "Nothing. What's going on with you?" she asked.

Brittany smiled at Simon. "Yeah, Simon, let's talk about you. I never get tired of that," she said, trying to help change the subject.

Simon eyed them. "Um, ok. Well, um, Jeanette," she looked at him, "Theodore told me that you set him up on a blind date. Is that true?" he asked.

Jeanette nodded. "Yes, I did. I'm a good friend and that's what good friends do."

Simon furrowed his eye brows. "Why would you do that, Jeanette?"

Jeanette was really starting to get annoyed. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she asked.

"Because it's kinda obvious that you like him, yet you set him up on a date with another girl," Simon replied.

Jeanette rolled her eyes. "Why does it matter to you anyway?" she asked.

Simon looked kind of shocked. "Because I-"

"Look, you guys aren't Hitch. So, why don't you deal with your own problems and let me deal with mine?" Jeanette looked at Brittany. "Thanks anyway, Brittany," she said and walked out of the store.

Simon was taken aback. He looked at Brittany. "What did I say?" he asked.

Brittany sighed. "Nothing wrong. Just give her time. She's just under a lot of stress right now. It's fine," she said. Then she noticed the perfect outfit for Jeanette. "Oh my God, this is perfect," she said, picking it up. She smiled up at Simon and he looked down at her, confusion evident on his face.

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Jeanette started walking to the Seville home, which wasn't that far away, fortunately. She really needed this time alone so she could clear her head. She didn't want to go there all angry and such. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew they were right. She should've just told Theodore the truth to begin with. But, also, she wished they would be a little more supportive.

It was bad enough that she started the lie in the first place, but when they keep reminding her how stupid it was, it doesn't help the situation at all. She loved how they were trying to help her, but at the moment, she didn't want it. At the moment, she kind of hated them for being right and the more she thought about it, the worse she felt. And Theodore. She was lying to him. She had no idea how he would react once she told him the truth. She knew she could be jeopardizing their friendship by doing this. Another reason why she should end it right now. For some reason, though, she couldn't. She thought that this was the only way she could let him know that he liked her with out coming right out and telling him. She knew that the best way would be to just tell him, but she was too afraid.

She also knew how he felt about her and them dating. That's the reason she wouldn't do it. She would rather risk him being angry with her than to just tell him. She didn't make sense to herself, but she just wouldn't change her mind. She sighed as she stopped in front of the house. She just stared at it, not exactly trusting herself to go up there yet. She didn't even know if she should. But she was having a problem and she always went to Theodore if she had a problem.

She built up the courage to walk up to the door. What she didn't build up the courage to do was knock on it. She didn't know why knocking on doors was so hard for her today. She took a deep breath and raised her hand. Then she froze. "Come on, Jeanette," she said to herself. "Knock. This time isn't any different from any other time." That was lie. This time, she was having a harder time keeping this secret from him. She just wanted to pour out her feelings to him, but that would mean telling him. Dilemma.

Just when she was about to knock, the door swung open, revealing Alvin. She jumped and so did he. "My God, Jeanette, warn a guy, would ya?" Alvin said.

Jeanette arched an eye brow at him. "Oh, yeah, like I was supposed to know you were about to open the door," she said. "But, ok. Hey, Alvin, I'm outside the door."

Alvin smiled and stepped out. "Haha, you're a comic genius," he said. "Well, anyway, I'm about to go see Eleanor. You're possession is upstairs in his room. You can go on in," he said and walked off the porch.

Jeanette shook her head and went inside. She shut the door and slowly made her way upstairs. Once again, when she reached his door, she hesitated to knock. "If this door opens by the time I decide to knock," she said with a chuckled. Then, for the first time today, she knocked on the door. She heard a thud on the other side, followed by a groan. She smiled, knowing Theodore had fallen out of bed. About a minute later, a half asleep Theodore opened the door.

He blinked and smiled slightly when he realized it was her. "Oh, hey, Jeanette, what are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Jeanette smiled at him. "Well, I came here to talk to you, but looks like sleep got to you before I did," she said.

Theodore let out a deep, sexy chuckle and nodded. "Yeah, looks like it did," he said. Then he stepped out of the way so Jeanette could walk in and she did. He closed his door and looked at her. "Is everything ok?" he asked as he followed her to his bed.

Jeanette nodded slightly. "Everything's going as well as expected."

They sat down. "What do you mean by that?" Theodore asked.

Jeanette sighed. "I'm just going through a few problems, that's all," she said.

Theodore was wide awake and very interested now. "What's going on?"

Jeanette blew out a breath. "I really wish I could tell you," she said.

Theodore furrowed his eye brows. "Well, why can't you?"

"Because it would ruin everything," Jeanette said.

"Ruin what?"

Jeanette sighed. "Possibly our friendship," she said.

Theodore eyed her, now concerned. "Jeanette, tell me what's going on," he said.

Jeanette avoided eye contact. She sniffed and shook her head. "I can't."

Theodore made her face him. "Jeanette, you should be able to tell me anything, especially if it involves our friendship. You have to tell me something," he begged, looking her in the eyes.

Jeanette opened her mouth to speak. 'Come on, Jeanette, here's your chance. Just tell him the truth,' she thought. "Teddy," she started, "I…I…," she trailed off.

"You what?" Theodore asked, searching her eyes for answers.

'I can't do it. Not now,' she thought as she sighed. "I'll explain everything to you on Christmas, I promise," she said. Then she looked away from him so he wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

Theodore just stared at her, a little hurt that she wouldn't tell him how she was feeling. But he trusted her, so he wrapped her in a hug and she snuggled into his chest. He rested his head on top of hers and sighed. "It's okay, Netta. Whatever's going on, it's gonna be fine," he said.

Jeanette sniffed again. "I sure hope so," she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4:One More Day Till Christmas

Chapter 4

There is one more day until Christmas and Theodore and Jeanette were both getting anxious, but for two different reasons. Theodore was excited, because he was meeting "Mandy" tomorrow. Jeanette, on the other hand, was very nervous, because she was going to tell Theodore the truth tomorrow. She was pacing in her room, stopping every once and awhile to look at her phone. One time, she picked up the phone, only to put it back down. She was debating with herself on whether or not she should tell Theodore today and save him the embarrassment. She sighed as she dropped her phone on her bed once again.

Just then, someone knocked on her door and then opened it. It was Mrs. Miller. "Jeanette, I need to talk to you for a minute," she said.

Jeanette nodded and Mrs. Miller walked in and closed the door. "Is everything ok?" Jeanette asked.

Mrs. Miller smiled and nodded. "With me, yes. With you, I'm not exactly sure," she said.

"What do you mean?" Jeanette asked.

Mrs. Miller sat on Jeanette's bed. "I can tell something's been bothering you lately," she said. Jeanette sighed and nodded. Mrs. Miller patted a spot beside her and Jeanette sat down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jeanette was quiet for awhile. Then she asked, "Have you ever wanted to tell someone something so badly, but was scared of how they would react?" Mrs. Miller nodded and Jeanette looked at her. "I like Theodore so much, but I know how he feels about me, so now I'm scared to tell him."

"How does he feel about you?" Mrs. Miller asked.

Jeanette smiled a bit. "He said he loves me," she started.

Mrs. Miller smiled. "Well, that's go-"

Jeanette's smile faded almost as soon as it arrived. "Like a sister," she said bluntly.

Mrs. Miller's smile faded a bit. "Oh, well…he still loves you," she said in attempt to cheer Jeanette up.

Jeanette groaned. "Mrs. Miller."

Mrs. Miller chuckled. "I'm sorry, Jeanette. I'm just trying to make you feel better. But, hey, just because you know how Theodore feels about you, doesn't mean you still can't tell him," she said.

Jeanette looked down. "Yeah, I know, but I don't think Theodore wants a girlfriend. Besides, he told me that it could ruin our friendship if we started dating and he doesn't want to do that."

"Maybe he feels that way because he doesn't know how you feel about him. So, tell him, and maybe things will work out in your favor," Mrs. Miller said.

Jeanette just nodded.

Mrs. Miller nodded as well. Then she asked, "Now, what's this I hear about Theodore going on a blind date?"

Jeanette looked up at her. "Who told you that?" she asked.

"I heard Eleanor and Brittany talking about it," Mrs. Miller said.

Jeanette shook her head. "He's not going on a blind date. He _thinks_ he's going on a blind date with a girl named Mandy. He _thinks_ he's going on this date, because _I_ made him think he's going on this date." She was quiet for a moment. Then, she said, "There is no Mandy. I made her up so he wouldn't figure out that I liked him."

Mrs. Miller shook her head. "Jeanette," she started.

"Please don't tell me how stupid it was. I've heard it from everyone else, I really don't want to hear it from you," Jeanette said.

Mrs. Miller sighed. "I'm not going to criticize you, because I know you don't need that. Just…just make sure you know what you're doing," she said.

She patted Jeanette's knee, got up, and left the room. Jeanette lay back on her bed. 'She's right,' she thought. 'Maybe I should tell Teddy how I feel about him. But then there's a possible chance he'll reject me. At least he'll know.' Here she was again; debating with herself. Then, suddenly, it was like she had an epiphany. A huge smile appeared on her face as she gasped and quickly sat up. She ran over to her closet and hurriedly put on her shoes. Then she threw on a jacket and sped out of her room.

She ran downstairs and past all the odd stares her sisters were giving her. "I'll be back soon!" she yelled as she ran out the front door. Brittany and Eleanor just looked at each other, while Mrs. Miller smiled slightly and nodded her head.

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Jeanette ran through the dark night to the Sevilles' house. She could've drove, but her mind was just on Theodore. She ran up the front steps and started rapidly knocking on the door. A moment later, the door opened and she almost hit Dave in the face. He dodged her fist just in time.

"Sorry," she apologized.

Dave blinked a few times before asking, "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Jeanette stepped in the house. "I really need to talk to Theodore right now. Is he home?" she asked.

Dave nodded. "Yes, he's…" he trailed off, seeing that Jeanette had already taken off upstairs. He just sighed and shut the door.

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Jeanette started banging on Theodore's door. She heard him say, "Alright, alright, I'm coming." She kept knocking. Just then, Theodore said, "I'm not opening this door until you stop banging on it." Jeanette dropped her hand and a slightly annoyed Theodore opened the door.

His annoyance faded when he saw her. "Oh, Jeanette, it's-" He was cut off by her hugging him. He stumbled back into his room, but he didn't fall. He hugged her back. "Um, Jeanette, is everything okay?"

"No, everything is not okay," she said. "I have something I need to tell you something."

Theodore closed his door with his foot and Jeanette still didn't let go. Theodore walked backwards to his bed and sat down. He let Jeanette sit on his lap. "Okay, tell me what's wrong," he said.

Jeanette let go off his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and she wrapped her arms around him. She took a deep breath. 'Alright, Jeanette, do it now,' she thought. She slowly let it out and said, "You're not going on the date tomorrow."

Theodore kind of pouted. "Why? Did she cancel?" he asked.

Jeanette sighed. "No. You were never going on the date in the first place."

"What are you talking about?"

Jeanette suddenly jumped up and Theodore stared at her, a little caught off guard. "Theodore, there is no date! There is no Mandy! I made her up!" she exclaimed, a little annoyed by how slow Theodore was catching on.

He was quiet for a moment and Jeanette could tell he was a little confused and hurt. "Why?" he asked.

Jeanette calmed down and looked down. "So you wouldn't know that it was _me_ that liked you," she said. Theodore was quiet again. This time, much longer than the first. Jeanette looked up at him. "Say something, please," she said.

Theodore was quiet for a little while longer. Then he asked, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Jeanette sat down beside him. "Because I knew how you feel about me and about us and I was scared."

"Scared of what?" Theodore asked.

"Rejection." Jeanette looked down.

Theodore was quiet once again. Then he sighed and took Jeanette's hands. "Jeanette," he started and she looked at him, "I meant what I said and I still feel that way. I really don't want to risk jeopardizing our friendship."

He paused and sighed. Before he could start again, Jeanette pulled her hands out his grasp and stood up. He looked up at her. "Jeanette," he started.

She shook her head and turned her back to him. "This was the exact thing I was afraid of," she whispered after a moment. Then she faced him. "I don't know why I listened to Mrs. Miller and told you. Of course you would reject me," she said.

Theodore sighed. "Jeanette, I'm not-"

"You would want to date a girl like Mandy, wouldn't you?" Jeanette asked.

"No," Theodore said firmly.

Jeanette nodded. "So, now you're lying to me?"

Now, Theodore was irritated. He stood up. "I'm not lying and if anyone should be mad, it should be me. You've been lying to me this whole time when all of this could've been avoided. All you had to do was tell me, but no, that's just too much. You'd rather lie to me and jeopardize our friendship to cover up a secret as small as this one. So, right now, _you_ don't have a right to be angry," he snapped.

Jeanette glared at him. "Oh, I don't have a right to be angry? I just got rejected for following my heart and I don't have a right to be angry?!"

Theodore rolled his eyes. "Jeanette, I've been trying to tell you and if you would listen to me-"

"No, you listen," Jeanette said and Theodore scowled, but stayed quiet. "I didn't come here to listen to you lecturing me about how what I did was stupid. I know it wasn't the smartest decision I've made, but I panicked, and don't lie and say you wouldn't have done the same thing. At least I told you before you showed up to the park looking like an idiot. You can't be mad at me for loving you so much that I didn't know what to do."

Theodore's scowl faltered and now he just felt bad. "Jeanette," he started.

She shook her head and took a step back. "Don't try to apologize to me now," she said. "I beat myself up everyday, debating on whether or not I should tell you. I wanted to, but I was so scared of how you react. Now, I wish I didn't tell you, because now I see how you feel about all this." She shook her head and Theodore stayed quiet. She looked at him. "Don't you have anything to say?" she asked.

Theodore turned his head to the side. "I think you should go home now. It's getting late," he said after a moment.

Jeanette's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock. "Theodore!" she exclaimed, amazed that he was just kicking her out.

He looked at her. "Just go, Jeanette, because if you stay, it's just going to result into more arguing and I don't want that. So, please leave," he said.

Jeanette stared at him for a minute before she stormed out off his room. Theodore sighed and sat down on his bed. He put his head in his hands and let out a breath.

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Jeanette walked home, hugging her body trying to keep warm. She was trying so hard not to cry, but didn't succeed. Tears slid down her cheeks as she thought back on what happened with Theodore.

'…_I meant what I said and I still feel that way…'_

The look on his face when he got mad at her…

'…_You've been lying to me this whole time…'_

How she felt when he'd rejected her…

'…_I just got rejected for following my heart and I don't have a right to be angry?!...'_

And how she felt when he got mad at her…

'…_You can't be mad at me for loving you so much that I didn't know what to do…'_

What hurt most is when he kicked her out…

'…_Just go, Jeanette…'_

She found herself crying even harder. She ran up the steps of her front porch and sat on the swing. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried in them. She was crying so hard that she didn't hear the front door open or someone sit beside her. She looked up when she felt them put their arms around her. She saw that it was Brittany holding her and Eleanor was standing in front of them, looking at her, concerned. She continued to cry on Brittany's shoulder.

Brittany rubbed her hair and whispered soothing words into her ear. Eleanor sat down on the other side of Jeanette and started rubbing her back. Jeanette didn't how much longer she cried, but she did know her sisters stayed with her the entire time. She sat up and lowered her feet to the ground. She looked at Brittany, and then at Eleanor, who wiped away the remaining tears. Jeanette let out a shaky sigh and laid her head back on Brittany's shoulder. She felt Eleanor lay her head on her shoulder and Brittany lay her head on her head.

Jeanette took a hand in each of hers and sighed again. She was glad she had her sisters with her. She knew they would always be there for her and that's all she wanted right now. She raised both of their hands to lips and kissed them. Then, she whispered, "Thank you." They sat there a little while longer before going in the house and getting some much needed sleep.


	5. Chapter 5:Christmas Is Finally Here

Chapter 5

It was Christmas finally and Theodore woke up dreading it. After his fight with Jeanette the night before, he wasn't looking forward to anything. He wouldn't have even gotten out of his bed if Dave hadn't demanded that he get up and come down to breakfast. He trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen. His brothers and Dave looked happy and excited and he envied them for it. He wished he and Jeanette had never gotten into that argument.

He plopped down in a chair at the island and stared down at his hands. Simon was the only one to notice this. He nudged him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Theodore shook his head and mumbled, "I'd rather not talk about it."

Simon was now pretty concerned about his little brother. "You sure? You look like something's really bothering you."

Theodore sighed. "Jeanette and I got in a fight."

"About what?"

"About her feelings about me," Theodore replied.

Simon just nodded. "What happened?" he asked.

Theodore finally looked up. "Can we go somewhere else? I really don't want to be here right now," he said.

Simon nodded and looked at Dave. "Dave, me and Theodore are going to take a walk."

Dave looked at him. "Breakfast is almost ready," he said.

"I know, but we won't be gone long."

Dave thought about for a few more seconds before saying, "Ok, you can go."

Simon thanked him and he and Theodore left the kitchen. They put on their coats and shoes and headed out. They started walking down the sidewalk, not speaking for a few minutes. Finally, Simon looked at Theodore and asked, "So, now do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Theodore never looked up. "Well, Jeanette came over to our house yesterday," Simon nodded, "and she was really worked up about something. So, I asked her what was wrong."

"And?" Simon asked.

"And she told me that I wasn't going on my date today. When I asked her why, she told me that there wasn't one to begin with and that she made everything up," Theodore told him.

Simon furrowed his eye brows in confusion. "Why'd she do that?"

Theodore glanced at him. "Turns out you and Alvin were right. She said she did it to cover up the fact that she was the one that liked me."

Simon smirked and said, "I knew it." Then he thought about something. "How did that cause you guys to argue?" he asked.

Theodore sighed. "She misunderstood what I said and she thought I was rejecting her."

"Were you?"

"No."

"What did you say?"

Theodore finally looked up at him. "Do you remember that night when we tricked you and Alvin?" he asked. Simon nodded and Theodore continued. "Well, that night, I told her that I didn't want to date her because I didn't to risk ruining our friendship and the special bond that we have, well, had. Last night, I told her that I still felt that way and before I could finish, she got mad, thinking that I was rejecting her," he explained.

Simon nodded. "Well, did you try to tell her that you weren't finish?" he asked.

"Of course, I did. She just wasn't listening. Every time I tried to tell her, she would cut me off," Theodore said.

Simon chuckled and said, "It must've been pretty hard to remain calm."

Theodore shifted his eyes. "About that," he started.

Simon stared at him. "You didn't remain calm, did you?" he asked.

"I tried to but she brought up something about me lying to her and I kinda snapped, but when I snapped, she snapped back."

Simon nodded and said, "Jeanette has a thing for snapping at people."

Theodore nodded. "Yeah, well, she eventually calmed down and she told me that she loved me," he said.

Simon's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, so she loves you?" Then he shrugged and said while smiling, "Can't say I wasn't expecting it." He looked at Theodore and noticed that he was in deep thought. He nudged him and said, "Can't say I wasn't expecting it from you either."

Theodore looked at him. "What?" he asked.

Simon smiled at him. "Teddy, I'm not blind. Sure, I can't see things too far away, but I don't need glasses to see how you feel about Jeanette," he said.

Theodore frowned. "So what if I like Jeanette?" he started. Simon raised an eye brow at him. Theodore rolled his eyes and said, "Ok, so what if I _love_ Jeanette? It doesn't matter now. She's pissed at me and I'm pretty sure she's not talking to me anymore, seeing that I kicked her out."

Simon's eyes widened again. "You kicked her out?"

"Well, I wasn't mean about it. I just didn't argue with her anymore so I told her to go home."

Simon suddenly stopped walking and Theodore stopped as well. Simon put his hand on Theodore's shoulder and said, "Well, Teddy, it looks like you just made a mistake and now's your chance to fix it."

Theodore stared at him, obviously confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Simon turned him around and his eyes widened. They were standing in front of the Millers' home. He hadn't even realized that they were walking this way. "Simon, what are you up to?" he asked. He turned around and saw that Simon had disappeared. He started looking around. "Simon? Simon!" he called. He realized that, obviously, Simon wasn't coming back. He turned back to the house and took a deep breath. He slowly let it out and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he said to himself, "Here goes nothing."

Theodore made his way up the door. Suddenly, Simon poked his head from around a very big light pole. He smiled at his accomplishment and then, started walking back home.

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Theodore raised his fist to knock on the door, but it froze in midair. He glared at it and tried to knock, but his fist wouldn't move. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said and as soon as he did, he knocked on the door. He shifted his eyes, but knocked again. Then he took a few steps backward. After a moment, the door opened and Brittany was revealed. He saw a bit of shock on her face at first, but it quickly faded and was replaced by anger. "What are doing here, Seville?" she spat.

Theodore silently gulped. All of a sudden, he felt a bit intimidated by Brittany. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I, uh, need to speak with Jeanette."

Brittany glared at him. "I think you said enough last night. So, why don't _you_ just go home?"

Theodore looked down, feeling guilt in the pit of his stomach. "Look, I know what I said was harsh and that's why I'm here; to apologize. So, if you will just give me the chance to talk to her, I'll say my peace and then I'll go home," he said.

Brittany studied him for a minute. Then she sighed and said, "Wait here." Then she disappeared inside. A few minutes later, Jeanette appeared. Once she saw Theodore, her entire body went rigid. Theodore looked up and noticed that she wasn't particularly happy about seeing him. Her face showed a mix between shock and anger.

He smiled slightly and said, "Hey, Jeanette." When she didn't respond, he continued. "I just wanted to apologize for what I said last night."

Finally, Jeanette spoke. "For which part? The rejection or you kicking me out?" she asked. All shock was gone and now, anger illuminated her features.

Theodore sighed. "Both," he said. Then, a thought came to his head. He shook his head. "Actually, for just one."

Jeanette was confused and a little angrier. "What do you mean just one?" she demanded.

"Because," Theodore said, "I only did one. Jeanette, I'm so sorry for kicking you out last night. I knew if you stayed, it would result to more arguing and I absolutely hate arguing with you, so that's why I did it. I know it was pretty mean, but I just wanted to end it there before we both said some things that we would regret. So, once again, I apologize for that."

Jeanette's anger subsided a bit-only a bit. "You're not finished," she said.

Theodore nodded and said, "You're right, I'm not." Then he cleared his throat. "Jeanette," he started, "I'm sorry that you misunderstood what I was saying and got the wrong idea."

Jeanette scowled at him. "So, now, it's my fault?"

"Well, Jeanette, if you had stopped and listened to me for 10 seconds, you would've realized that I wasn't rejecting you," Theodore said.

"How were you not?" she asked.

"You would know if you hadn't interrupted me." Jeanette nodded and crossed her arms, signifying that she was listening. "Now, I'm gonna start where I left off last night," Theodore said. Then he sighed, making sure he was completely calm. "Like I was saying, I did mean what I said and I still feel that way." Jeanette scoffed and was about to close the door until she heard Theodore say, "But."

She froze. "But?" she asked.

He sighed again. "But I finally realized that I'm willing to take that chance with you."

Jeanette opened the door wider took a step toward him. She crossed her arms again and smiled slightly. "Really?" she asked.

Theodore nodded. "Yeah, I thought about it and I realized that even if we started dating, it most likely wouldn't change the bond that we had. If it did change it, it would most likely change it for the better. And another thing," he sighed once more. "I think I'm in love with you." Jeanette just smiled at him. He could see tears forming in her eyes. He shifted his eyes. "Are you going to say anything?" he asked.

Jeanette stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. "Have," she said. Theodore was more than confused now. She placed her other hand on his cheek. "You said that it wouldn't change the bond that we had. You mean have," she said. Theodore smiled. "Thank you," Jeanette whispered before kissing him for the very first time. Theodore pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her waist.

Brittany and Eleanor peaked out the door and smiled at was taking place before them. Mrs. Miller walked up behind them and saw what they were looking at. She smiled and looked down at them. "Come on, girls," she whispered. "Let them have their moment alone." They groaned in disappointment, but backed up and let Mrs. Miller quietly shut the door.

Soon after, to Theodore's disappointment, Jeanette pulled away and smiled. She backed up and put her hand on the door knob. As she opened the door, she said, "Merry Christmas, Teddy." Then she turned around and walked inside. She smiled at him one last time before shutting the door.

Theodore smiled and walked off the porch. He smiled the whole way home. When he walked in the house, he was met with three pairs of curious eyes. "So?" Simon started.

"How'd it go?" Alvin finished.

Theodore simply smiled at them and said, "Merry Christmas, guys." Then he made his way upstairs.

As he walked up the stairs, he heard Alvin yell, "That's it?! Merry Christmas?! Come on, you have to give us more than that!"

As he walked in his room, he heard Dave say, "Alvin."

"No, Dave, he's holding back!"

Alvin's rant was drowned out when he closed his door. He walked over to his nightstand and opened the top drawer. He pulled out his Christmas gift for Jeanette and smiled again. Then, suddenly, he grabbed his keys and walked out of his room, present in hand. When he went downstairs, he saw Alvin pouting in a chair. "I'll be right back," he told Dave and walked out. He got into his car and drove back to the Millers' house. He parked on the curb and got out. He walked up to the door and placed the present in front of it. Then, he rang the doorbell and jogged back to his car.

Jeanette opened the door in time to see Theodore's car disappear down the street. She looked down and smiled at the sight. She saw a small, red, rectangular box. She picked it up and saw that it was for her. She opened it and gasped at the sight. Inside the box was a white gold necklace with a lavender, heart-shaped pendant, which was crafted in 10 karat white gold. It was outlined by real diamonds. She nearly fainted and had to grab onto the door frame to keep her balance. "Oh my God, Teddy," she whispered. Then she noticed writing at the top of the box. She read it.

_I will forever love and care for you and I never want to lose you._

_Merry Christmas, Netta,_

_Teddy _

Jeanette nearly started crying again. "I love you, too, Teddy," she whispered. She closed the box and went back inside.

--

I know this story was super late seeing that it's a Christmas story and it's February, but how'd you like it? Let me know. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed it. Too bad it's over. Seeya!

Jade


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